Current treatment for rotator-cuff tears is to suture the torn tendon back to the bone of the humeral head. The sutures hold the tendon in contact with the bone, preferably long enough for the tendon to heal to the bone and form a bridge that will re-establish the tendon-bone connection and restore normal function. The sutures that are used possess sufficient tensile strength to retain the tendon and bone together during the healing process. However, the tendon is a fibrous tissue that can be torn by the sutures. The sutures can align with the fascicular structure of the tendon and tear through it under sufficient tensile force undoing the surgical repair before tendon-to-bone healing is complete. The sutures can also tear through the bone under sufficient force, particularly in older subjects who form the bulk of rotator-cuff-tear patients and whose bones tend to be more osteoporotic. Reinforcement of the sutures to help maintain integrity of the rotator cuff repair is therefore desirable.